Improvement in shank-pieces fo



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JEREMIAH M. WTSON, OF SHARON, MASSACHUSETTS.' 1

Letters Patent No. 111,022, dated January 17, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHANK-PIECES FOR BQO'LI'S 4AND SHOES.. v

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent vand maklngpart of the same.

Tofall persons to whom these presents may come Be it known that I, J EREMIAII M. WATSON, of Sharon, infthe county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved"lilanniiicture of Shank-Piecesfor Boots or Shoes and do hereby declare the same to be fully described Lin the following specification and represented in the accompanying.`

drawing, of which- Figure 1l is a top View; :Figure 2, a bottom view;

Figure 3, aside elevation; Figure 4, a longitudinal section Figure 5, a rear end view;` and Figure 6, a transverse sectionof. it; the plane cf this latter section being at the middle ofthe said shankpiece. r

The-body-pzrt of the shank-piece is composed of a series of wooden strata or leaves, c a a,fasten ed toi 'gether at or V'near their rear ends, and arranged relatively to each other and formed in manner as represented i'n thc drawing, they being separate` all along from their point -or pointsof connection to their front ends.

On the npper stratum 'or elastic piece of the series a Va w there is arranged an auxiliary piece or leaf, b, which, at or near its `rear end, is fixed to the series a a a, there bei-ng a space, c, between each of its oppo site edges and the nexteontiguous edge of the leaf a on which it is superimposed. rlhe purposes ofthe auxiliary leaf b are to fill the space .between the' laps ofthe vamp on the inside f the shoe, and also ,to centralze the combined leaves a a a relatively to the vamp, and co-operate with the said leaves and form therewith an elasticwooden shankpiece. `Were the auxiliary or vamp-space lling-leaf in one piece with the upper or next contiguous leaf a, or fastened thereto rmly throughoutthe length of the auxiliary leaf, instead of being connected thereto only at oxnear the heels or rear parts of the two, it would render the compound leaves -too stili' or iyielding, and prevent them from any-independent play or movement relatively to one another.v

In` order tol insure the best `1csults,it is important that the main shank-piece be composed of a series of i* leaves or strata arranged as described and connected at or'ncar their rear ends together and to the anxill iary shank-piece at or n ear zits rear end, and that. the auxiliary shank or vamp-filling piece should be scpa Aratein other respects from that next contiguous to it,-

t'he whole being formed of woodin order to insure the necessary elasticity, lightness, and ability'of being readily reduced or finished tothe desirable shapeas circumstances may require.

I am' awarethat itis not new to make a shoe shankpiece or .stiffener'of several layers or pieces of wood or steel, 85e., as metallic plates confined together at or near one end-of each and molded-tothe necessary form;` therefore I make no' claim to such, in the ab#4 stract.

I am also aware that it is not new to put leather or other substance in that space, on an insole, which ns'ually 'exists between'the laps of the npper; consequentlylmake'no claim thereto.

That I claim as a new manufacture, and of my in.- vention,is-

The elastic wooden shankpiece, as composed, of the centralizel". and varup-spacetilling-piece @and the se-` ries of body-leaves a, all arranged as set forth, and fastened together at1 or near their rear ends, only as described. ,l Y

` JEREMIAH M. WATSON` v Witnesses: R. B. EDDY,

S. N. PIPER. 

